Creative Arts Network plans Waterfront Music Festival

AHA! in Fall River transitions to Creative Arts Network; kicks off the summer with a weekend of music June 23-25.

Linda Murphy Lifestyle Editor @HNFastFood

With a new name and a more locally suited mission, the Creative Arts Network is kicking off the summer with a weekend of music. The fun gets under way with the annual Block Island Ferry Sunset Cruise on Friday, June 23 followed by an afternoon of music on Saturday, June 24 and the Creative Arts Network’s Music Festival at the Heritage State Park on Sunday, June 25.

Sandy and Dave Dennis, organizers of the Creative Arts Network, formerly known as AHA! in Fall River, transitioned to the Creative Arts Network over the past several weeks, giving the Fall River-based arts network the autonomy to produce events that fit the Greater Fall River community’s needs, they said.

“It will be the same mission and purpose, but we had to have events on certain nights and we couldn’t change the programming,” said Sandy Dennis.

Operating under the umbrella of the Community Foundation, AHA! in Fall River was a brand off-shoot of AHA!, an arts network that started in New Bedford in 1999. The AHA! arts nights, featuring arts organizations within the community, are typically held one Thursday a month. “We tend to be more hands-on in our programming,” said David Dennis. “New Bedford’s geography is different from Fall River, they have more active stores and arts venues in a concentrated area of Purchase Street.... Starting out as AHA! helped pave the way for us to become the Creative Arts Network.”

The Creative Arts Network, which in the process of filing the necessary papers to become a non-profit organization, will operate separate from AHA! and the Community Foundation. “This will allow is to expand with more autonomy. We had a good a relationship with AHA! and the Community Foundation, but we didn’t get any funding through the Community Foundation, they were our fiscal agent,” said David Dennis.

“We’re excited about it,” said Sandy Dennis. “So far, CAN has been very well received – we’ve had a lot of positive feedback from the community.”

Some of the events in the works include the weekend of music starting Friday, June 23, “Puttin’ Around Town,” a miniature golf event downtown in July with each of the holes representing one of the city’s neighborhood associations; and a scarecrow walk in October; and the Festival of Trees.

For now, they’re focused on the upcoming weekend of music.

A ticketed fundraising event, the Sunset Cruise aboard the Block Island Ferry on June 23 is fast becoming an annual tradition. This year’s event features Louie Leeman performing on one deck and a steel drum band on the other deck. As the ferry sails out around Prudence Island, attendees can dine on chowder and a buffet provided by the Venus de Milo. On the ride back, cruisers can take a break from eating, drinking and dancing to check out the sunset on the port side of the ferry.

On Saturday, June 24, Fun 107 is doing a live broadcast from downtown in the afternoon, and the Fall River Alliance’s Artist Alley will be set up along Second Street from 1 to 4 p.m. “Rockumentary,” a Ric Oliveira-produced documentary about the youth music scene in Greater Fall River, will also be screened that afternoon. At night, check out the Sophisticated Swing band at the Fall River Cultural Center staring at 7 p.m.

On Sunday, the weekend of music moves to Heritage State Park for an outdoor music festival with the Lou Leeman, Brazilian act Pogonejo, Portuguese singer Mauricio Morais, Baha Brothers playing Key West-style music and Southern New England great Duke Robillard. Running from 1 p.m. to sunset, the family-friendly music festival will kick off with a band for the kids: Toe Jam Puppet Band along with facepainting, Bubbleology, and a balloon maker/magician. Still in the works, the plans also call for food trucks and artists. “People are welcome to bring a picnic and enjoy the music,” said Dave Dennis.

Tickets for the Block Island Sunset Cruise are $85 per person and includes: dinner, dessert, music on two decks and an amazing sunset. Boarding starts at 6 p.m. and the ferry leaves dock promptly at 6:30. Tickets must be purchased in advance. For tickets, call 508-673-2939 or email dendenllc@comcast.net.

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